“In the West, marriage is considered more as a union between two people, while in Asia marriage tends to be a matter between two families,” Mr. Thalib says.

That usually means singles relies on friends and relatives – people they trust – to help introduce them to matches that meet their criteria.

And that, says Mr. Thalib, is what Setipe is all about.

“Setipe is basically like your friends or families,” he says, noting features that include personal assessments and a direct matchmaking system that uses a computer-generated algorithm to pair members rather than having them select one another directly.

The difference from one’s family, says Mr. Talib, “is Setipe can connect you to thousands of people.”

Finding a love connection online is not yet common practice in Indonesia, where the majority of the population still doesn’t have Internet access. Around 71 million of the country’s 250 million people are currently Internet users, according to the Association of Indonesian Internet Providers. And while social networking has taken off among the tech-savvy, under-30 demographic, looking for love online is still uncommon – and sometimes a source of embarrassment.

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A couple poses in front of teddy bear and Valentines decorations at Ciputra World Mall on Feb. 10, in Surabaya, Indonesia.

“Either we are [considered] ‘undesirable’ or ‘up for some psycho [dates]‘,” says Ms. Sembiring, referring to common perceptions she had heard about people who register with match-making sites.

The site is gaining a following in part because the registration process is so stringent and member’s profiles are protected.

To get started, applicants must fill out a lengthy form of around 140 mostly multiple choice questions, ranging from personal information – such as the user’s religion and ethnicity – to what they’re looking for in a match. That includes educational background, employment history and salary requirements.

Personal information is kept confidential. The computer merely draws off the answers to the registration questionnaire and begins making love connections. People whose scores are the most similar are sent an alert asking them to check one another’s profiles. From there, they can choose to begin a conversation and move forward.

Since joining in November, Ms. Sembiring has been sent three love connections that she thinks look promising. She has already sent invites to two.

“My mom will be happy if I find a good Christian man,” said Ms. Sembiring, who wears a tiny, gold cross around her neck. “We are Christian, and having a spouse of the same faith is very important for us.”

Ms. Desi, who didn’t want to reveal her last name because she doesn’t want her friends and family to know she’s joined a dating site, said Setipe also got her attention because of its claim that matches would be targeted.

“I joined some dating sites already, but my matches are always non-Muslim,” she said. “I’m a Muslim, so I want to have a Muslim spouse.”

Setipe started its matchmaking engines in early January and now has around 20,000 members across the country. Most live in cities and around 60% are women.

Mr. Thalib says at least a quarter of the matches made so far on Setipe are talking.

About Southeast Asia Real Time

Indonesia Real Time provides analysis and insight into the region, which includes Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei. Contact the editors at SEAsia@wsj.com.

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